Raising Awareness About: Disability On TV

[possibilities]

Good representation matters! Ever since Ironside, there've been disabled characters, but they've been few and far between and often badly written. Here's hoping that disability issues will be represented both more often and with better quality as time goes on, and here's a place to discuss it all.

What do you want to see?
What shows are already doing some good work?

Do you like Micah Fowler/J.J. on Speechless?

Do you think Freddie Highmore and the writing team are doing a good job with The Good Doctor? Should an autistic actor have been cast instead?

Are their any other shows with disabled characters on the air right now?

[praeceptrix]

Thanks for starting the thread. I found the similar thread on the old TWP site most informative.

I have not seen either of the shows you mentioned. I have a friend whose sons have autism, and know a few women with autism. From hearing about their experiences, I have no patience for the "autistic = savant" trope. I am not aware of any actors with autism (I am sure they exist, just don't know of any), but suspect that it is even more important to have people with autism in the writers' room to get a better, more nuanced portrayal.

It's particularly infuriating to me when shows use wanting to do pre-accident flashbacks and/or dream sequences as an excuse to not hire actors in wheelchairs. The other thing which annoys me is when the only storylines for the disabled character revolve around the disability, and/or the characters serve only to further the storyline of an able-bodied character.

I am not disabled (yet), but I've been following The Pushy Lawyer on Facebook and find her posts interesting. I wish showrunners and writers would open their eyes to the experiences of a wider variety of people.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, possibilities said:

Are their any other shows with disabled characters on the air right now?

I don't watch very many shows, so I can't be much help with a list, but among those I watch, Mom includes Adam, who uses a wheelchair (after being paralyzed in a skiing [snowboarding? something where he accidentally went off a cliff] accident; he was a Hollywood stuntman, but I don't remember if the accident was in the course of work or leisure).  His disability is not ignored, but is not a focus; for a sitcom, it's handled reasonably well.  But he is played by William Fichtner, who is not disabled.

[magicdog]

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.   You don’t have to hire a doctor to play one onscreen.  No one complains about those sorts of things.

[Trini]

I can't think of too many disabled characters/actors from the shows I've watched. But I wanted to mention Auggie on Covert Affairs who was blind; played by Chris Gorham who is not blind. The character lost his sight in a combat mission, so most of his life he was not disabled. He was one of the central characters, so I think he was pretty well-rounded and not everything was about his blindness, and it wasn't ignored either. But I'm not blind, so I can't say how well the show portrayed that particular disability.

[galax-arena]

50 minutes ago, praeceptrix said:

It's particularly infuriating to me when shows use wanting to do pre-accident flashbacks and/or dream sequences as an excuse to not hire actors in wheelchairs.

Mmm yes, like Artie on Glee. Especially since IIRC the only reason they incorporated the dream sequence in the first place was because they wanted to show off Kevin McHale's dance skills; it wasn't an integral part of the character. 

Quote

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.   You don’t have to hire a doctor to play one onscreen.  No one complains about those sorts of things.

That's not an apt comparison. Doctors aren't marginalized in society (quite the opposite). Disabled people are. 

If disabled actors got a fair shake with respect to casting, it'd be a different story. But the fact is that unless it's an "invisible" disability, disabled people are not going to be cast in roles written for abled actors. So when there's a role specifically written for a disabled character, disabled actors should absolutely be the priority. At the end of the day, Jacob Tremblay got to take off the prosthetics he wore for playing a kid with Treacher Collins syndrome and go back to being cast in roles as an abled boy. Would a kid with Treacher Collins get the same opportunity? No.

Edited January 23, 2019 by galax-arena

[Trini]

Also worth mentioning: Sue Thomas: F.B. Eye, in which the central character and actor, Deanne Bray, was deaf.

[Mittengirl]

1 hour ago, magicdog said:

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.

Try using that reasoning to cast a man to play Amelia Earhart or Harriet Tubman (or any female role).  Could a great actor pull it off?  Sure.  Is that reason to do it?  Absolutely not.

[possibilities]

Nothing about us without us.

[JustaPerson]

Daredevil, the famously blind superhero, was played by an actor who could see (Charlie Cox) for 3 seasons. Matt was also blind in flashbacks, though I don't know if the actor they cast to play kid!Matt is blind irl. 

[Scarlett45]

I really loved Switched at Birth for its portrayal of Deaf culture on tv, and the fact that so many Deaf actors got to work!!

I know many in the Deaf community don’t consider themselves to be disabled, but I thought the show fit in this thread. 

[angora]

4 hours ago, magicdog said:

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.   You don’t have to hire a doctor to play one onscreen.  No one complains about those sorts of things.

 

4 hours ago, galax-arena said:

That's not an apt comparison. Doctors aren't marginalized in society (quite the opposite). Disabled people are. 

If disabled actors got a fair shake with respect to casting, it'd be a different story. But the fact is that unless it's an "invisible" disability, disabled people are not going to be cast in roles written for abled actors. So when there's a role specifically written for a disabled character, disabled actors should absolutely be the priority. At the end of the day, Jacob Tremblay got to take off the prosthetics he wore for playing a kid with Treacher Collins syndrome and go back to being cast in roles as an abled boy. Would a kid with Treacher Collins get the same opportunity? No.

 

 

4 hours ago, magicdog said:

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.   You don’t have to hire a doctor to play one onscreen.  No one complains about those sorts of things.

 

4 hours ago, galax-arena said:

That's not an apt comparison. Doctors aren't marginalized in society (quite the opposite). Disabled people are. 

If disabled actors got a fair shake with respect to casting, it'd be a different story. But the fact is that unless it's an "invisible" disability, disabled people are not going to be cast in roles written for abled actors. So when there's a role specifically written for a disabled character, disabled actors should absolutely be the priority. At the end of the day, Jacob Tremblay got to take off the prosthetics he wore for playing a kid with Treacher Collins syndrome and go back to being cast in roles as an abled boy. Would a kid with Treacher Collins get the same opportunity? No.

To use the doctor comparison, there isn't a problem of "doctor" actors struggling to get work in Hollywood because no one will consider them for "non-doctor" roles and "non-doctor" actors keep getting cast to play doctors.  Particularly considering that there aren't a lot of roles for disabled characters to start with, it's rough to so often cast able-bodied actors in those that do come along.

5 hours ago, praeceptrix said:

It's particularly infuriating to me when shows use wanting to do pre-accident flashbacks and/or dream sequences as an excuse to not hire actors in wheelchairs. The other thing which annoys me is when the only storylines for the disabled character revolve around the disability, and/or the characters serve only to further the storyline of an able-bodied character.

I agree.  It reminds me of excuses used to cast cis actors in trans role, that they "need" cis actors because they need to show scenes of the character pre-transition.  In both cases, it takes roles away from marginalized actors (disabled, trans,) and it also reflects a certain preoccupation with the kind of stories Hollywood seems to want to tell.  There's a lot of interest in those particular points of "change" - becoming disabled through an injury/accident, starting to socially and/or medically transition - rather than focusing on other plots for a character who's, for lack of a better word, "settled" in their identity, and the identity then becomes the focal point of the plot rather than just a facet of the character.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Scarlett45 said:

I know many in the Deaf community don’t consider themselves to be disabled,

An episode of Cold Case did a decent job of exploring the conflict between a deaf teenager who wanted a cochlear implant and his deaf parents' objections that he didn't need to be "fixed" and was abandoning his family/community.  (He attended a Gallaudet-style high school, so that allowed for a little more representation of the deaf community in general, and the cochlear implant controversy within it.)  It went into it in a fair bit of detail and, while I can't say it didn't come down on one side or the other as I recall it being a little more sympathetic to the son's position than the parents' objections, it was mostly from an "it's his choice" perspective and didn't demonize the parents or dismiss their concerns.  It's been a long time; I'd love to see that episode again to refresh my memory, but I don't get the station that's currently airing it in syndication.

On the general subject of hearing loss, I remember going around the dial and seeing Brian Kerwin - whom I'd liked many years before on Roseanne - in an episode of Blue Bloods.  I hate that show, but I stopped because in a shot over Kerwin's shoulder, I could see he was wearing hearing aids.  I wondered if it was a plot point, or if - gasp - someone was just "allowed" to wear hearing aids on TV without them being 85 and/or the butt of a joke.  It turned out to be the latter.

Edited January 23, 2019 by Bastet

[Trini]

On current TV, Daryl Mitchell, who uses a wheelchair, plays a supporting character on NCIS: New Orleans.

[LilWharveyGal]

Call The Midwife has highlighted a ton of physical and mental issues, and it currently features a character/actor with Down's syndrome.

[Irlandesa]

10 hours ago, magicdog said:

It never bothered me if an able bodied actor portrayed a physically disabled person.  It’s called acting for a reason.

The problem is that the playing field isn't equal.  Actors with disabilities are usually only considered for parts with that particular disability whereas able-bodied actors get opportunities for both parts. 

I think Marlee Matlin with Joey Lucas on The West Wing was about the only time I ever felt like an actor with an obvious impairment was hired because the creators liked her as an actress. That character seemed like it could have been played by anyone and the character was only deaf to fit Marlee whereas most of the characters I've seen her as were deaf and it seemed like she was hired because she was the best deaf actress TPTB knew.

[Llywela]

British soap Coronation Street has a long-term resident called Izzy who has Ehler-Danos syndrome and is wheelchair bound, played by an actress who also has Ehler-Danos (Cherylee Houston). Izzy's disability is only a small part of who the character is, and has only rarely been the focus of her storylines. Corrie also has a more part-time character called Alex, who has Down's Syndrome - as does his actor, Liam Bairstow.

Actress Sarah Gordy, who has Down's Syndrome, has popped up in a number of shows over the last few years, including Upstairs Downstairs and Strike. She's fab and I wish she worked more, but it can't be easy for her finding roles - she tends to be restricted to playing disabled parts, rather than being able to access general roles in which her disability is merely a footnote.

[Blergh]

Anyone else remember Life Goes On about a family (1989-1993) which included a teen with Down's Syndrome called Corky? That character was played a performer named Chris Burke (born 1965) who has that challenge.  I recall one rather poignant episode in which the family matriarch (Patti Lupone) found out that her impending last child did NOT have that challenge and was relieved but, alas her elation was overheard by Corky who took her reaction as an indication that she didn't love him. Thankfully, she was able to convey to him that while she wanted the best for all her children, she loved him just as he was and didn't love him any less due to the Down's Syndrome.

Anyway, despite major kudos which included a Golden Globe nomination, Mr. Burke only seems to have had six television credits since the show end and nothing after 2002. I have no idea what has become of him these last 16 or so years but I hope he's still contented and independent. 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Blergh

[Scarlett45]

7 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I think Marlee Matlin with Joey Lucas on The West Wing was about the only time I ever felt like an actor with an obvious impairment was hired because the creators liked her as an actress. That character seemed like it could have been played by anyone and the character was only deaf to fit Marlee whereas most of the characters I've seen her as were deaf and it seemed like she was hired because she was the best deaf actress TPTB knew.

Marlee Matlin is the only Deaf actor to have won an Oscar and she is “the” Deaf actor of a generation. I agree with you- she’s the exception to the rule. 

[Dr.OO7]

Actor Mitch Longley, who is paralyzed in real life, played Dr. Matt Harmon on the soap opera Port Charles. The best part about this is while the show didn't ignore his disability, they didn't make it a focus of every episode--the vast majority of his stories where typical soap stories that could easily have been given to an able-bodied person. The key storyline related to his paralysis was a supervisor not wanting to give him a surgical rotation, an excellent way of addressing the discrimination disabled people encounter in the workplace. The best part is that the story was very well done. Soaps are usually hit or miss with their social issue storylines--some are very good, others are an overdone public service announcement--but this one was a winner.

[Llywela]

A few years ago BBC Wales aired a primetime drama called Baker Boys - Eve Myles is probably the best known of the actors involved, and her character in the show had a teenage daughter who had been born prematurely and had cerebral palsy. She was played by actress Cara Readle, who also has cerebral palsy, and has been quoted in the press a number of times calling for greater opportunities for disabled actors. Elen was a great part for her, and was the kind of representation this thread is calling for: a disabled character played by a disabled actor, whose storylines are not about their disability - although frustration with her own limitations did come up at times, Elen's story was primarily about a moody teenager navigating the push-pull between her divorced parents. It was a good show, too, but I don't think it was ever shown outside Wales.

Edited January 24, 2019 by Llywela

[SimoneS]

Gavin McHugh who has cerebral palsy in real life has a recurring role as the adorable Christopher Diaz on 9-1-1.

The talented Lauren Ridloff who is deaf in real life and communicates using American Sign Language plays Connie on The Walking Dead.

[connieinnc]

On 1/23/2019 at 6:56 PM, Trini said:

On current TV, Daryl Mitchell, who uses a wheelchair, plays a supporting character on NCIS: New Orleans.

He is also in 'Fear the Walking Dead' as a cast member.

[Dr.OO7]

26 minutes ago, connieinnc said:

On current TV, Daryl Mitchell, who uses a wheelchair, plays a supporting character on NCIS: New Orleans.

And much like Mitch Longley, his storylines could easily be given to an able-bodied person. I can't think of any that have made a hokey PSA regarding him being in a wheelchair.

[Irlandesa]

R.J. Mitte, also an actor with C.P. was a regular on Breaking Bad and appears to have recurred (or was a regular?) on Switched At Birth.

[praeceptrix]

Robert David Hall is a double amputee whose character on CSI (original flavor), Dr. Robbins, used prosthetic legs. His disability was simply a facet of his character, not a plot point.

[SVNBob]

40 minutes ago, praeceptrix said:

Robert David Hall is a double amputee whose character on CSI (original flavor), Dr. Robbins, used prosthetic legs.

And crutches.  Which were also barely ever remarked on.  But he did use them to beat the hell out of unauthorized people in his morgue, like paparazzi or armed invaders.  Then they got talked about briefly, mostly about him needing to get new ones after the incident.

[kathyk24]

Thanks for starting this forum. I don't watch able bodied actors playing disabled people because I want to support disabled actors. I don't think a negative to show the barriers a disabled person faces every day. On one episode of Speechless JJ who uses a power wheelchair decided to go to the mall by himself. The audience saw all the obstacles JJ had to overcome to complete a simple task. An able-bodied actor doesn't have that knowledge. It isn't difficulty to have a diverse cast. Sesame Street had Linda Bove who is deaf as part of the cast in the 70's if a kids show can be inclusive other shows can follow their lead.

[ratgirlagogo]

There was Lauren Potter on Glee, and Jamie Brewer on American Horror Story - both actresses with Down's Syndrome.  Michael J. Fox of course has Parkinson's.  Others mentioned Darryl Mitchell and Robert David Hall.

[crazycatlady58]

Also you have Jerri Jewell who appeared on Facts of Life. She was not a regular but she was on the show.

[Blergh]

2 hours ago, crazycatlady58 said:

Also you have Jerri Jewell who appeared on Facts of Life. She was not a regular but she was on the show.

True, but the sad thing is that despite the fame (which culminated in a White House visit), Miss Jewell has said that the actual monies paid to her during the show's run were so sporadic that she couldn't pay the rent on her apartment (and she serious had health issues from the cerebral palsy -mainly the neck vertebrae ) . Though she DID help educate many viewers as to what that condition entailed (and even showed her character having clay feet) so that was fairly good. 

  Somewhat of an exception to the rule of challenged performers getting fewer chances than non-challenged performers is the performer Jim Byrnes (most notably of the Highlander series) who had had both his legs amputated yet has had steady work mostly in Canadian productions.  Of course, he's been able to balance himself on his prosthetic legs so that he can walk unassisted albeit slowly. 

[Talky Tina]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Speechless.  Speechless has a disabled character played by a disabled actor names Micah Fowler.   I only watched the 1st season but I think the show is still on.  

 

Never mind. I see that someone did mention the show.  Apologies. 

Edited January 25, 2019 by Talky Tina

[Llywela]

Since I mentioned Coronation Street above, I should also mention that rival soap opera Emmerdale currently has a character played by actor James Moore, who has cerebral palsy - he won Best Newcomer award at the NTA's this week, so well done to him!

[BW Manilowe]

15 hours ago, Talky Tina said:

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Speechless.  Speechless has a disabled character played by a disabled actor names Micah Fowler.   I only watched the 1st season but I think the show is still on.  

 

Never mind. I see that someone did mention the show.  Apologies. 

 

Yes, the show is still on.

Edited January 26, 2019 by BW Manilowe
To remove an unneeded capital letter.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

Breaking Bad had a realistic portrayal of a disabled character in Walt Jr. His disability didn't define him as a person and he still had pretty much the same goals and wants as most teenage boys. Chuck from Better Call Saul was also a realistic and haunting portrayal of mental illness (electromagnetic sensitivity). The end of season 3 was TOO real showing what compulsions can look like at their worst.

Despite all the criticism of Lena Dunham, from what I've seen of it (I don't have HBO so only saw clips of it) she did a pretty good portrayal of OCD in Girls...certainly a lot better than most shows which tend to make it into a laughingstock (I've had OCD for about twenty years).

Edited January 26, 2019 by BuyMoreAndSave

[kathyk24]

1 hour ago, BuyMoreAndSave said:

Breaking Bad had a realistic portrayal of a disabled character in Walt Jr. His disability didn't define him as a person and he still had pretty much the same goals and wants as most teenage boys. Chuck from Better Call Saul was also a realistic and haunting portrayal of mental illness (electromagnetic sensitivity). The end of season 3 was TOO real showing what compulsions can look like at their worst.

Despite all the criticism of Lena Dunham, from what I've seen of it (I don't have HBO so only saw clips of it) she did a pretty good portrayal of OCD in Girls...certainly a lot better than most shows which tend to make it into a laughingstock (I've had OCD for about twenty years).

I think the best example of OCD I've seen is Monk with Tony Shaloub. I wondered why no one ever said that he had OCD and wasn't being rude when he refused to shake hands. Toni Collette was amazing as a woman with Multiple Personalities in United States of Tara. I think people with mental illness don't get the positive edit that those with physical disabilities tend to get.

[kathyk24]

9 hours ago, Llywela said:

Since I mentioned Coronation Street above, I should also mention that rival soap opera Emmerdale currently has a character played by actor James Moore, who has cerebral palsy - he won Best Newcomer award at the NTA's this week, so well done to him!

Are either of these soap opera available on-line? I have Netflix.

[BuyMoreAndSave]

51 minutes ago, kathyk24 said:

I think the best example of OCD I've seen is Monk with Tony Shaloub. I wondered why no one ever said that he had OCD and wasn't being rude when he refused to shake hands. Toni Collette was amazing as a woman with Multiple Personalities in United States of Tara. I think people with mental illness don't get the positive edit that those with physical disabilities tend to get.

A lot of OCD portrayals focus more on the compulsions and less on the obsessive thoughts. I appreciated the Girls portrayal because it went into both. My OCD is like probably 90%+ obsessions. Unfortunately there's still a lot of "mental illness is your fault if you don't succeed at getting over it" in the overall culture. Or even worse thinking the person is exaggerating their symptoms for attention...I've gotten both of those a lot from family members.

Edited January 26, 2019 by BuyMoreAndSave

[Blergh]

I'm not sure this is a mere coincidence or what. However; this week's Closer(February 4,2019) magazine had an interview with Kellie Martin in which she was asked about her ontime costar Chris Burke and she replied that he's now 53, living on the East Coast with his mother in her 90's- and he wants 'to get back into show business' so she's told every producer she knows. The odds aren't good even for non-challenged 50 something performers who haven't  worked in 17 years but, time will tell, I guess. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Blergh
bolding

[Llywela]

On 1/26/2019 at 7:01 AM, kathyk24 said:

Are either of these soap opera available on-line? I have Netflix.

I wouldn't know, I'm afraid. I think Corrie, at least, is available in the US, but I don't know the name of the service that shows it - I doubt if it is Netflix, though.

[ratgirlagogo]

26 minutes ago, Llywela said:

I think Corrie, at least, is available in the US,

Hulu is apparently showing the current episodes, as is BritBox.  But in general this is not a show that Americans have ever seen, unless they live near the Canadian border and pick up CBC programming.

[Llywela]

59 minutes ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Hulu is apparently showing the current episodes, as is BritBox.  But in general this is not a show that Americans have ever seen, unless they live near the Canadian border and pick up CBC programming.

Thank you. Because yes, I know most Americans won't have ever seen it, but I also knew there is a service that it is available on, I just didn't know the name - so thanks for answering the question above.

In terms of disability representation, Izzy is just one character in a large cast who tend to rotate in an out of the spotlight, but her disability is merely one facet of who she is. She has had storylines dealing with aspects of her condition and how it affects her daily life, but the majority of her story revolves around her family, friends and relationships - we've seen her as a daughter, a sister, a girlfriend, a mother, a colleague, an employee, a friend...as well as a person living with disability.

I don't watch Emmerdale to know much about James Moore's character, for which he won the Best Newcomer award, but I do know that his storyline has been about being reunited with the teen mother who abandoned him at birth.

Edited January 27, 2019 by Llywela

[BW Manilowe]

From the Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN): Disabled Actors Want to Be Seen

The article linked above is in my local paper today.

Edited February 3, 2019 by BW Manilowe
To fix excessive italics.

[kathyk24]

Is anyone watching America's Got Talent the Champions Edition? They have had several contestants with disabilities. Sam Comroe is a comedian with Tourette's Syndrome, Drew Lynch is a comedian who stutters and tonight they was a comedian named Lee with cerebral palsy. Lee is known as the Lost Voice Guy and he uses assistive technology to speak. My favorite joke was I'm not here to inspire you I just like the attention. I'd love to see him guest star on Speechless.

[possibilities]

I'm not watching AGT, but now I'm going to look for those comedians on youtube!

[SimoneS]

ABC has an interview with Lauren Ridloff about her role as Connie on The Walking Dead. I didn't realize that Angel Theory who plays Kelly, Connie's little sister, is also hearing impaired.

https://abcnews.go.com/culture/story/walking-dead-star-lauren-ridloff-talks-deaf-actor-60853480

[kathyk24]

On ‎2‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 12:16 AM, possibilities said:

I'm not watching AGT, but now I'm going to look for those comedians on youtube!

If you look for Lost Voice Guy his full name is Lee Ridley.

[Trini]

I don't think there's a forum/thread for this yet: In the Dark, premiering on the CW in April. The lead character is blind (the actress isn't). Trailer and premise:

Quote

In The CW's new series IN THE DARK, Murphy (star Perry Mattfeld) is a hard-living, hard-drinking, disaffected twenty-something with a penchant for cigarettes and casual sex. She's also blind. Murphy lives with her supportive best friend, Jess (Brooke Markham), and - more reluctantly - her trusty guide dog, Pretzel, whose presence she resents. Murphy's closest friend is a sweet teenager named Tyson (Thamela Mpumlwana), who she befriends after he saved her from a violent mugging. Her life comes crashing down when she stumbles upon what she's sure is the lifeless body of Tyson in the alley outside her apartment. But when the police arrive there is no body to be found - and with Murphy not exactly sober, the police aren't especially inclined to investigate. Murphy is determined to find the truth, no matter the risk... even if it means she has to sober up a little.

I haven't really been following this, but I know there are interviews with the producers about casting a non-blind actress, etc.

[BW Manilowe]

A Tweet from Bob Hiltermann, a deaf actor inviting his followers/anyone else who sees the Tweet to watch him on Hawaii Five-0 on CBS, Friday February 22, at 9PM Eastern & Pacific/8PM Central. He plays the role of Hal, an alcoholic, homeless hippie who, the plot synopsis says, is befriended by current Five-0 team member Adam Noshimuri, played by Ian Anthony Dale (Adam’s also the now-estranged husband of former Five-0 team member Kono Kalakaua, who was played by Grace Park before she left the show 2 seasons ago). Bob also says in the Tweet that the role was specifically rewritten for him as a deaf actor. 

If You Plan to Watch: Take note that CBS plans to air 2 consecutive episodes of Hawaii Five-0 on the night of February 22nd, from 9-11PM Eastern & Pacific/8-10PM Central. The ep mentioned in the Tweet airs first, at 9PM Eastern & Pacific/8PM Central.

Edited February 14, 2019 by BW Manilowe
To add a comment.

[kathyk24]

There is a hearing impaired contestant on the Voice this season. Her name is Maelyn Jarmor and she sang Sting's Fields of Gold at her audition. She's on John Legend's team.